1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a highway divider including a plurality of housing-like steel divider members which are releasably joined together in longitudinal direction. Each divider member has at least two transverse wall members located near the bottom of the divider member. The transverse wall members are arranged spaced apart and extend parallel to each other. Each divider member further includes essentially inclined side walls which are supported by the transverse wall members in a mirror-inverted configuration relative to a vertical longitudinal center plane. The side walls have, at the top thereof, laterally projecting longitudinal beads and the edge portions of the side walls are beveled downwardly in the form of strips.
2. Description of the Related Art
A highway divider of the above-described type is known from German Utility Model 18 70 841. In this known highway divider, the transverse wall members near the bottom of each steel highway divider member are integrally formed components of triangular plates which are recessed in the center thereof. The transverse wall members are formed by beveling, by 90.degree., the edge portions near the bottom of the plate. The edge portions of the two other sides of the plates are inclined in a roof-like manner relative to each other, are slightly concavely curved at the upper sides and are beveled by 90.degree. in the same direction. The transverse wall members support side walls which are curved so as to correspond to the transverse wall members and are screwed to the beveled edge portions.
Ear-like projections are fastened to the rear sides of the plates in the horizontal plane of the bottom surfaces of the transverse wall member. So-called ground nails are driven through the ear-like projections into the ground and the transverse wall members are pulled toward the ground as a result.
The side walls have, at the upper ends thereof, longitudinal beads which are manufactured by bending such that the upper surfaces of the longitudinal beads extend in a horizontal plane and the lateral surfaces extend in parallel vertical planes.
The lower ends of the sidewalls are vertically downwardly beveled at a substantial distance next to the transverse wall members. In the same manner as the ground nails, the downwardly beveled portions anchor the steel highway divider member in the ground.
A significant disadvantage of the above-described known highway divider is the fact that it is anchored to the ground. As a result, when a motor vehicle strikes against the highway divider, this cannot yield laterally and provide an absorbing function. Moreover, it must be expected that a motor vehicle coming into contact with the highway divider can travel without problems over the individual highway divider members at any location thereof because the divider members are entering the ground and because the concavely-shaped side walls are inclined at an average angle of inclination of approximately 45.degree. and the highway divider members are relatively low. Thus, this known highway divider is not capable of acting as a significant safety element and, therefore, such a highway divider is not suitable in practice.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to improve the above-described known highway divider, so that motor vehicles are absorbed in a cushioned manner and can be guided without substantial damage and injury to the passengers along the steel divider members which are releasably connected to each other, even if the motor vehicles strike with a force of approximately 30 tons or more and even if the impact is from a relatively large angle to the highway divider.